Scott Green, President of the University of Idaho, and a delegation from the university visited Hiroshima to participate in a significant initiative. The delegation, which included three students from the university’s Japanese language program, visited the headquarter of TV Shin-Hiroshima (TSS) to engage in the “Next Generation Succession Project.” This partnership aims to preserve and promote the message of peace with younger generation by adding English subtitles to special programs related to Hiroshima’s atomic bombing and distributing them globally.

In January 2024, the University of Idaho joined the Next Generation Succession Project, with 20 students from the university’s Japanese language program, translating two peace focused documentaries into English. Three student representatives traveled to Hiroshima for the screening of one of these subtitled documentaries, “A Bomb Mayor: Mr. Hamai talks about “August 6th””. After the screening, they presented their research on the book “A Bomb Mayor” by Shinso Hamai, former mayor of Hiroshima at two venues in Hiroshima.

The University of Idaho’s Japanese program’s involvement in peace education began with a visit from Keiko Ogura, a Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor in 2022. During her visit, Ogura asked the Japanese language students to translate her kamishibai (a traditional Japanese storytelling method) to English. The story recounted Ogura’s personal experiences during the atomic bombing and Ogura asked the students to share her story with future generations. The students honored her request by completing the translation, ensuring her powerful message would be passed on. This year, the next generation of the students continued this legacy of peace by participating in the Next Generation Succession Project.

The “Passing the Torch of Peace – Remembering Hiroshima” event was made possible with the support of BACKEN MOZART, a company that has long been bringing joy to Hiroshima through its food. The events, which included the documentary screenings and student presentations, were held at BACKEN MOZART Café in the International Conference Center on August 5th and at Daisho-in Temple in Miyajima on August 7th.

These events were attended by a diverse international audience who participated in screenings, engaged with student presentations, and listened to remarks by Keiko Ogura and Junso Hamai, the eldest son of Shinso Hamai.